Australia Clears the Way to Ship Uranium to India

During PM Modi's Melbourne visit, Australia agreed to export uranium to India for civilian nuclear power, unlocking a deal stalled since 2014.

The agreement

On 9 July 2026, during PM Modi's visit to Melbourne, Australia agreed to supply uranium to India for civilian nuclear power. The administrative agreement removes obstacles left over from a 2014 nuclear cooperation pact.

Sales are tied to International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards and to India keeping its civilian and military nuclear programmes separate. Officials did not disclose export volumes or a timeline.

“give our clean energy objectives fresh momentum”
— PM Narendra Modi

Fuel for India's clean-energy push

India is aiming for 100 gigawatts of nuclear capacity by 2047, a big jump from today, where nuclear supplies only about 3 percent of its electricity. Australia, which holds roughly 28 percent of the world's known uranium reserves, is a natural supplier.

For NaMo the deal feeds into a wider clean-energy agenda; for Canberra it helps broaden trade beyond its heavy reliance on China.

More than uranium

The two leaders also pledged closer defence and security cooperation across the Indo-Pacific and stronger critical-minerals supply chains. They agreed to set up a temporary space-tracking terminal on Australia's Cocos (Keeling) Islands to support Indian spaceflight.

Two-way trade between the countries reached about A$54.4 billion (roughly US$37.7 billion) in 2024-25.

Key points

• Australia agreed on 9 July 2026 in Melbourne to export uranium to India for peaceful nuclear power.
• The pact clears hurdles from a stalled 2014 agreement; supplies fall under IAEA safeguards.
• India targets 100 GW of nuclear capacity by 2047, up from nuclear's roughly 3 percent share of its power today.
• Australia holds around 28 percent of the world's known uranium reserves.
• Leaders also agreed on defence cooperation, critical minerals, and a space-tracking terminal on the Cocos Islands.

Sources: Al Jazeera · ABC News · Bloomberg · NucNet